Publicity tips/Pedicure Parties for 8-year-olds, April 3, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #340 - April 3, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com

http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

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Coming Soon: The Publicity Hound's Resources List

Every week, I'm inundated with phone calls and emails from Publicity Hounds asking me to write their press releases, ghostwrite columns, publicize their new books, or create their online media rooms.

I don't do that kind of work. But I've been spending from three to four hours a week trying to match up my readers with service providers who do. And I don't always have time to find the contact information for the companies that will serve them best.

That's why I'm creating The Publicity Hound's Resources List, a handy list of companies that provide products and services for people who need help with publicity.

If you write press releases, do ghostwriting, offer crisis counseling, work as a publicist, proofread, create websites, or provide any other product or service for people who need publicity, learn how you can be included on the list:

http://www.PublicityHound.com/PublicityResources.htm

I'll start publicizing the list aggressively online and offline in the next few days.

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In This Issue
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1. Pedicure Parties for 8-year-olds

2. Style on the Stump

3. Hot Topics on College Campuses

4. Media Leads

5. Promoting a Gift Registry for Women

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. Pedicure Parties for 8-year-olds
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In my world, a day at the spa is a real treat. That's why spa certificates are at the top of my Christmas and birthday wish list.

Then last week, I read an amazing article on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how the local day spas are the newest hangouts for teens and little girls.

Forget about pajama parties. Girls as young as 8 are having pedicure parties at the spa.

One 13-year-old girl interviewed gets manicures, pedicures, eyebrow waxings and facials every other week, to the tune of several hundred dollars a month.

Another wellness center said children as young as 6 and 7 are getting massages.

When it comes to rewarding little girls for good grades, "A day of shopping just doesn't do it anymore," one parent lamented.

You can read the entire article here:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=582027

I noticed that the reporter mentioned my favorite spa. And I can tell you right now that I'm out of there--pronto--if it turns into a hang-out for teeny-boppers.

But all you day spa owners: If you're seeing this trend too, pitch the story to your local newspapers and TV stations. It's almost prom season, and that's the perfect tie-in.

To make the story more enticing, introduce some controversy. The owner of the spa I go to said she's weighing concerns about age-appropriate body waxing. She knows, however, that she won't be offering bikini waxes to young teens.

What about old folks like me, who don't want to have to share a hot tub with a bunch of little girls yacking on their cellphones? Are spa owners enforcing age limits for certain services?

I know of 35 more story ideas that many people can pitch during April, May and June. They're included on the CD I created with my friend, Shawne Duperon. It's called "116 WOW Story Ideas from January through June." We even tell you which ones are better for print media and which are more appropriate for TV. You can download the entire list of story ideas as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/6k7zk


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2. Style on the Stump
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If John Edwards wants to appear presidential on the campaign trail, his suit is fine. But he needs to get rid of the sport watch that makes him look like a kid dressing up.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson needs to understand that red ties reflect color onto his face, and make him look angry. He also should do something about that suit jacket, which always looks too tight, like it's about to burst open.

Hillary wears clothing made of fabric that's too stiff. It works against her ability to soften up.

As for Republican candidate Rudy Guliani, his dark suits and power ties look presidential. But because he has dressed in drag on several occasions for comedy routines, enemy bloggers routinely reach for the photos that show him made up as a platinum blonde starlet or a campy showgirl. Those photos could derail his run for the presidency.

That's what the image consultants and stylists had to say in an article about how candidates look on the campaign trail. It was in Saturday's Wall Street Journal. And it reminded me to remind you that you have lots of opportunities between now and the election to weigh in with your expert opinion on the candidates.

--Hair stylists and make-up artists can offer tips not only for Hillary, but for the guys. Because men appear frequently on TV, it isn't unusual for them to wear light make-up. During their debates, Richard Nixon looked like Casper the Ghost next to the tanned John F. Kennedy.

--Speech coaches should offer to critique the candidates during televised town hall meetings and debates.

--Image consultants can dole out advice on everything from posture to the way the candidates come across before a live audience.

--Etiquette experts can comment on the way candidates treat each other on the campaign trail. Does the mud-slinging help or hurt?

--Authors who can tie their topic into any aspect of the presidential campaign should do so.

--The ideas are endless for success and life coaches, as well as bloggers.

Sure, you can pitch national reporters who are covering the race. But what if you don't know who they are? And what if they go to Experclick, the Online Yearbook of Experts, looking for experts to interview? Will they find you in the directory?

If not, don't miss the chance to be included in the 2007 Yearbook of Experts. Today is the last day that Mitch Davis is accepting subscriptions, and Thursday is the last day to write your profile. Publicity Hounds receive $200 off the subscription price, but only if you subscribe today.

Call them at 202-333-5000 and tell them The Publicity Hound sent you. Or sign up at http://www.ExpertClick.com/create and put"Last call for $200 discount from The Publicity Hound" in the special offer box.

This is the service I use. Here's my profile that journalists can read if they're looking for a publicity expert: http://www.expertclick.com/19-2429


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3. Hot Topics on College Campuses
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During the teleseminar I conducted last night with James Malinchak on how speakers, consultants and experts can get onto the college speaking circuit, James busted seven myths about getting booked at colleges and universities.

One of them was that you have to already be an experienced, famous speaker or musician in order to get a paying gig.

Not true, he says. In fact, comedian Adam Sandler and the popular Dave Matthews Band each got their start performing on college campuses, back when they were nobodies. Students liked them. So activities directors continued to book them year after year. And the rest is history.

During the teleseminar, James rattled off a long list of some of the most popular and in-demand speakers at colleges. I only recognized one name on the list, and that's because the speaker is a member of a professional group I'm in.

His point is, if your topic is in one of 20 categories that colleges and universities think are important, you can devote your entire career speaking to students, faculty and staff at four-year college and universities, community colleges and tech schools. Those schools frequently book good speakers again and again because as students graduate, new students come on board, creating a new audience that needs to hear the speaker's message.

At the boot camp that James hosts twice a year, he tells speakers how to get contact information for the more than one dozen people on each college campus who are in a position to hire them. He shows speakers how to create a brochure that will get them hired, and he tells them why they shouldn't waste time and money on expensive speaker videos.

As of this morning, James had only four seats left at the boot camp May 3-6 in Las Vegas. If it's sold out by the time you read this newsletter, you can listen to a recording of last night's teleseminar, then attend his boot camp in November.

Learn more about how to take your messages to colleges and universities: http://snipurl.com/JamesMalinchak


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4. Media Leads
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--Carol Pereyra, editor of the national magazine Going Bonkers?, is looking for a variety of articles that will help readers understand, manage and overcome stress in all areas of life. Deadline is April 20 for the summer issue. Read the writers'guidelines at http://www.gbonkers.com/writer_guidelines.htm


--Molly Glentzer, lifestyle editor of the Houston Chronicle, is looking for products that can be featured as gift ideas for Mother's or Father's Day. For mom, she wants products related to fashion, beauty and grooming products, books, cooking utensils and equipment, and home and garden decor. For Dad, she wants ideas for tech and consumer electronics and gadgets, recreational and sporting items, games, books, fashion and grooming products. She accepts press releases, story ideas and pitches by email, and attachments are OK. She accepts hard copy press kits, story ideas and pitches by regular mail. She wants high-resolution digital images emailed, and attachments are OK. You can also send prints and digital images on CD by regular mail. Her address is 801 Texas Street, Houston TX 77002. Email to mailto:molly.glentzer@chron.com


The Houston Chronicle lead is one of many you can get courtesy of The Gift List. It's a subscription service that provides contact information for consumer media that feature products and services perfect for gift-giving. Sign up for a test drive and for their newsletter at http://tinyurl.com/9es8y


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5. Promoting a Gift Registry for Women
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This week, 13 Publicity Hounds have tips for Felicia Coley of Rochester, New York. She asked for advice on how to promote her online gift registry for women at http://www.wellheeledsociety.com/


From Mary Louise English:

"Felicia, congrats on a great concept. But when I arrive at your website, I’m puzzled--why am I here? What’s the purpose of the site? Add a subhead or tagline in your header. Make clear who the Well-Heeled Society is for and what benefits it provides."

From Rekaya Gibson:

"It has nothing to do with me being single. It has everything to do with the items that I want from my favorite stores. Promote the great items women can register for versus the idea of registering for items because we are single. After all, married women might enjoy these items too."


From Ciara Daykin:

"As a wedding planner I know all about registries and I have some tips. You need a media kit on your website. You need to tell the media why they should write about your company. You don’t mention any of the press you have already received on your website or link back to the blogs that mentioned you. I am pretty computer-savvy but I know a lot of women who are not. You ask women to highlight the URL of the product they like and then click back to your registry and paste the link there. My mother would give up. Is it possible to get this step down to one click?"


The Publicity Hound says: I, too, was confused when I first arrived at her website, and I thought it was devoted to only shoes.


Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/2zoo4s


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6. Help This Hound
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Treg Stark of Delaware, Ohio writes:

"For the past 14 years. I have worked locally with parents and kids, teaching them about personal safety (stranger danger). The character I created, Professor Safety, is featured in a DVD and companion CD for parents and day care centers.

"While those who have purchased my safety program rave about it, I have yet been able to get a following on the web. My site at http://www.professorsafety.net/ has been active for over a year and is just now starting to get good numbers, but I feel there is so much more to do and so many more people I can help, but I can't seem to get publicity for the site. I have tried the conventional methods and am currently building a network of reporters that I can email with ideas.

"I was hoping your Publicity Hounds can offer more specific details for me."

The Publicity Hound says: What a great topic! And I can hardly wait to see all the creative ideas for this one. C'mon, Hounds, post your best tips to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2ztjzu


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7. Hound Quote of the Week
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"Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear."

--Dave Barry


DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes, perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50 best websites for dog humor.

http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/


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8. And at My Blog...
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Writing press releases:
9 out of 10 miss this critical element
http://tinyurl.com/2ly5nw

Bad book or music review? Here's how to recover from it
http://tinyurl.com/2sa435



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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

April 27, 2007: Webinar

Women Business Owners Virtual Growth Summit Webinar. I'm presenting a session at 1 PM Eastern Time on how to become an expert in your topic, then generate online and offline publicity. Register at http://www.businesswomensgrowthsummit.com/


May 12, 2007: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Florida Speakers Association: "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Consumers, Not Only for Journalists." 9a.m. to noon. "Sleeping with the Competition: How to Collaborate with Other Speakers to Create Profitable Products." 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 561-630-7766 or visit http://www.florida-speakers.org



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Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."

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Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central)
Fax: 262-284-1737